First You Talk

Troubleshooting issues within our educational system feels overwhelming. A spotlight is often on crisis points, such as kindergarten readiness, third grade reading scores, and graduation rates; but, what if we zoomed out and flew over the entire system at 30,000 feet? What if we thought about the big picture, and determined what exactly we even want out of the system? This episode will help shift our mindset to thinking about systems-level approaches to improving education in our community.Th...

We hear this buzzword a lot: innovation. But what does it mean and is it a part of our community? Furthermore, is innovation a must-have in order to improve our region? Episode 4 digs into all of these questions with some of the best and the brightest in this space - and helps us to unpack this amorphous term and use it in a more meaningful way.This episode covers:How do we define innovation?Is Central Florida an innovative community?How do philanthropy and risk interact?What is community inn...

This is a deeper-dive bonus episode that aligns with Episode 3: Why should we care about our community's mental health?Hear Mark and Sandi talk about strategies on creating a reliable and sustainable mental health workforce.Visit the First You Talk website.Visit the First You Talk Podcast on Instagram.Visit Central Florida Foundation's Instagram.As our region’s community foundation, Central Florida Foundation serves as a launchpad for high-impact philanthropy. Championing the collective power...

In today's day and age, caring about your mental health has been woven into our daily conversations; but, what about our community's mental health? What does it mean to care about our region's mental health at large?In this episode, we dive into this topic with subject-matter experts that bring thought-provoking perspectives to the conversation.You'll hear about:mental health vs. mental illness, and the importance of the language we usewhy you should know your ACEs numbermental health stigmas...

This is a deeper-dive bonus episode that aligns with Episode 2: How are we going to solve our housing crisis?Hear an uncut version of Mark and Sandi talk about obstacles to having more attainable housing and how policy can shape solutions.Visit the First You Talk website.Visit the First You Talk Podcast on Instagram.Visit Central Florida Foundation's Instagram.As our region’s community foundation, Central Florida Foundation serves as a launchpad for high-impact philanthropy. Championing the c...

Central Florida is known for its world-class tourist attractions and top-tier restaurants and nightlife. It's all magic and pixie dust here, right? Not if you're one of the thousands of workforce residents slowly being priced out of housing.This episode of the First You Talk podcast dives into Central Florida's housing crisis.Learn about:attainable versus affordablecauses of this problemFlorida's new Live Local Actnew ways of thinking about solutionsGuests include:Catherine Steck McManus, CEO...

This is a deeper-dive bonus episode that aligns with Episode 1: Why is solving homelessness so hard?Hear an uncut version of Mark and Sandi talk about two types of homelessness - episodic and chronic - and why understanding the two matters.Visit the First You Talk website.Visit the First You Talk Podcast on Instagram.Visit Central Florida Foundation's Instagram.As our region’s community foundation, Central Florida Foundation serves as a launchpad for high-impact philanthropy. Championing the ...

Ever wonder why we can't just solve the problem of homelessness? Join us on a journey to discover the story of this complex issue, hear from people experiencing homelessness now, and learn what the City of Orlando is doing to try to alleviate this growing problem in the region.Thank you to our guests:Mayor Buddy Dyer, City of OrlandoKathy, Rigoberto, Tiffany and David, clients of Samaritan Resource CenterMark Brewer, President/CEO, Central Florida FoundationSandi Vidal, VP of Community Strate...